July 9, 2004 – With the 2004 USCF Junior National Track Championships in the books, the newly-opened ADT Event Center in Southern California prepares to open its doors to the rest of the world as it gears up to host the 2004 UCI Junior World Track Cycling Championships July 28-Aug. 1. The team that will represent the U.S. was named today and features the top junior level athletes in the nation with an eye on success at the world championship level.

Nine men and three women will make the trip to Carson, Calif. to compete in the first World Championship event on U.S. soil since the 2001 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Vail, Colo.

In the junior men’s division, a talented crop of American sprinters will compete for the honor to wear the rainbow jersey that signifies a world champion. Leading that list is Michael Blatchford (Cypress, Calif.), the junior national champion in the match sprint. Prior to winning the national title last week, Blatchford began the season by setting a Pan American and U.S. record in the 200m qualifying round at the Junior Pan Am Championships in Ecuador earlier this year where he went on to take the overall title in the sprint. His steady progression will hopefully translate into peak performance at the World Championships.

Joining Blatchford in the sprint events will be current national champions, Ryan Nelman (Houston, Texas), Aaron Kacala (Racine, Wis.), and Ben Barczewski (Schnecksville, Pa.). Nelman is the reigning junior national champion in the keirin and silver medalist in match sprint behind Blatchford. Kacala captured a national title in the kilometer time trial last week and also has a Pan Am Championship to his credit in the same event. Barczewski claimed his national championship in the 10km scratch race.

The sprint team of Blatchford, Nelman, Kacala, and Barczewski are no strangers to international success as the four of them combined for the gold medal in the team sprint at the Pan Am Championships in April.

The endurance team is led by recent national champion in the individual pursuit and points race silver medalist, Elliot Gaunt (Susquehanna Valley, Pa.). Joining Gaunt to contest the endurance events will be national points race champion, Chris Ruhl (Quakertown, Pa.), Daniel Holloway (Morgan Hill, Calif.), Michael Chauner (West Chester, Pa.) and Michael Schnabel (Emmaus, Pa.).

The junior women will be led by multi-time national champion, Kimberly Geist (Emmaus, Pa.). After winning back-to-back overall national titles in 2002 and 2003 in the 15-16 age group, Geist graduated to the 17-18 division this year where she took individual national titles in the individual pursuit, the scratch race, and the points race.

Tela Crane (Sammamish, Wash.), reigning national champion in the 500m time trial and match sprint, joins Geist to form a formidable junior women’s duo. Complementing the one-two punch of Crane and Geist is Natalie Klemko (Bristol, Wis.) Klemko captured silver medals in both the individual pursuit behind Geist and the match sprint behind Crane at the national championships last week.

2004 UCI Junior World Track Championships U.S. Team

Men Michael Blatchford (Cypress, Calif.) Ryan Nelman (Houston, Texas) Aaron Kacala (racine, Wis.) Ben Barczewski (Schnecksville, Pa.) Elliot Gaunt (Susquehenna Valley, Pa.) Chris Ruhl (Quakertown, Pa.) Daniel Holloway (Morgan Hill, Calif.) Michael Chauner (West Chester, Pa.) Michael Schnabel (Emmaus, Pa.)

Women Tela Crane (Sammamish, Wash.) Kimberly Geist (Emmaus, Pa.) Natalie Klemko (Bristol, Wis.)